


Eyes Like The Tenerife Sea

by corinnemaree



Category: Jurassic World (2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, F/M, Police Officer AU, Single Parents
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-15
Updated: 2016-05-15
Packaged: 2018-06-08 13:57:37
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,961
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6857803
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/corinnemaree/pseuds/corinnemaree
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Officer Owen Grady always goes to the same coffee house every morning before his shift. One day, he finally meets the owner, Claire Dearing. And her daughter.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Eyes Like The Tenerife Sea

**Author's Note:**

> Explicit (Mostly fluff but there is smut in it). Okay, so @bryc-dlls-hwrd on tumblr is making an officer Owen AU and I got inspired the moment I heard it. I mainly thought of fluffy things and then, well, this all happened. Sorry. Also, super tired so there are probably mistakes everywhere. my bad.

Routine. Owen liked Routine. He liked the normalcy of it. He was an officer, so a small amount of routine was good for him, kept him in line. His usual shifts running from 7am to 7pm, and they could be quite draining without his morning coffee. There was a small little coffee house that doubled as a late night diner, the ‘Shut Up I Need My Coffee’ cafe, mainly because of the name. He related to it a lot. He knew it was run by a woman, but she hadn’t been there when he was starting to have it as his regular place. Apparently she was on a long overdue holiday, according to the usual baristas he had. 

On this morning, Lowery was serving Owen, which wasn’t something Owen enjoyed. Mainly because Lowery got distracted sometimes and would not pay attention to his order. Owen had gotten far too many chai lattes that couldn’t get him through the day. Strong black. That was his order. Not his favourite coffee, but it got him through his shifts.

Waiting, Owen’s thumbs went to the line of his belt and he could suddenly feel eyes on him. When he glanced around the coffee shop, there weren’t many people around, except a small girl at the end of the counter. Once she saw him glance her, she immediately took her eyes back to colouring in. Owen cracked a smile and walked over to her. “What are you drawing?” he asked over her shoulder. Her hair was dark, but as the sun shone in, there was a tint of red that sparked off of it. She smiled up at Owen, showing him her work. It was a panda bear, with a wreath of flowers around its head. “A true masterpiece,” Owen smiled. The girl suddenly pointed to his hip.

“Is your gun real?” Her voice was small, but Owen heard it come out sweetly. He nodded. 

“Yes, it is.” The girl giggled, her tongue going between her teeth as she laughed. A gap in the middle of her top row, an obvious tooth missing, but slowly growing there. 

A voice chimed in quickly, strong, commanding, and almost sweet. It must have been the owner. “Robin, don’t bother the customers.” she said quickly from out the back. 

“It’s okay, hone-” Owen chuckled before the woman emerged. A tall red head wearing a purple v-neck t-shirt, tight black skinny jeans and an apron wrapped around her waist. She was gorgeous in every sense of the world; stunning even. Her eyes sparkled so brightly, Owen could only describe his experience of seeing her as listening to that Ed Sheeran song. Tenerife Sea. What a gift she was, elegant, flowing, and utterly blissful to see in person. “Honestly it’s fine.” he cleared his throat. 

She extended her hand, dusting it off before offering. “I’m Claire, the owner.” Owen took it and shook it twice, still trying to form words.

“Owen is one of our regulars.” Lowery interrupted. “He gets the uh….” he stammered and Owen rolled his eyes.

“Strong black, Lowery. As it has been for the past two months.” Owen shook his head, watching Lowery come to the realisation of his mistake.

“Right…” he mumbled. “Can you give me like...five minutes.” Lowery asked, a bright, almost innocent smile pinned on his lips. 

“Chai latte again?” Owen asked and the man in the checkered shirt mumbled slightly before looking over at Owen, pleading eyes and all. 

“It was the blonde okay, she got me distracted.” Lowery groaned.

“What about Lucy from yesterday?” Robin asked beside Owen. Everyone looked over to her. Robin’s legs swung, the brightest and most joyful smile pinned to her lips.

“Who was she again, Robin?” Lowery asked, leaning over on the counter, waiting for the new coffee beans to crush. Robin battered her eyelashes.

“Pretty lady with the big eyes.” she reminded. 

“Oh, yeah,” Lowery sighed blissfully before his expression dropped and he nudged his glasses up. “She didn’t like me.” 

Robin frowned deeply. “There must be something wrong then,” she said grumbily. 

“What do you mean, kiddo?” Lowery asked. 

“No one seems to like you.” Robin shrugged which forced Claire and Owen both to crack up as Lowery stood in disbelief. A little girl called out Lowery and did so in the easiest way; Owen could grow to love the kid. 

“I know you taught her that,” Lowery yelled at Claire, who was still belly laughing at her daughter. 

“I haven’t said a damn thing, she just knows you, Lowery.” Claire giggled, glancing up at Owen with pink cheeks. She was gorgeous, causing Owen to smile back at her and his chest growing light. 

“You Dearing girls are just mean.” Lowery cursed, throwing down his tea towel and went out the back. Claire took in a deep breath before she took over on Owen’s order. It only took a few more moments before Owen slid the cup Owen’s way.

“Coffee’s done.” she smiled, tucking her hands into her apron. “Have a good day, Officer.” 

“Owen.” he corrected and Claire licked at the edge of her lip. “Call me Owen,” he smirked with a wink. Owen went over to Robin’s shoulder, nudging her playfully. “Keep up the good work, kiddo.” he remarked, commenting on her drawings. Her face scrunched, trying to act sauve. 

“Robin. Call me Robin.” she chimed and Owen chuckled hard. He ruffled her hair and she giggled in turn. A part of him craved to stay, but the time was running short and he needed to start his shift. 

That’s how it worked, the continuous visits every morning, some sly flirting that let Owen know if she was interested. Claire flirted back just the same. But, even with the confidence that radiated off of him, he was often intimidated by her, how strong she was. Claire was an independant woman with a child that was just as confident as her mother. He was always worried that she was flirting because she could but had no interest. He was scared of getting hurt by her. 

Another morning, Owen didn’t have his shift, meaning he could do whatever he wanted. He wanted to go to the coffee house. Wearing his casual look of black jeans and a flannel, he strolled into the shop to Claire’s surprise.

“Officer,” she beamed, the coffee house bustling and Owen could see Robin over in the corner, sitting on a chair that lifted her off the ground across from another empty chair and paper in front of her.

“Owen,” he corrected as he always did. “I’m not in uniform today.”

“You don’t come in on tuesdays.” Claire said, already getting on his black coffee order. Although he did like other drinks, he could go for a black coffee that morning. 

“I wanted to get a coffee this morning and you guys always have the best brew.” he smiled, walking over to the table where Robin was working alone. 

“I’ll get something for you straight away.” Claire gestured for him to sit with Robin, a friend he had slowly earned the respect of. She was a funny little girl, smart and witty beyond her years, but there was still an innocence that told her age. Claire called out to Lowery, reminding him that he had the shop for an hour so she could drop Robin off at school soon. Owen took his place, waiting for Robin to speak first. She always had good conversation starters. He was asked about dinosaurs once. He felt like he was the smartest man in the room when she asked him and only wanted his opinion. Owen wasn’t sure why; maybe it was the way Robin’s eyes lit up when he told her all new things that she hadn’t considered. 

Robin perked up, setting her pencil down, and a serious look covering her face. “Are you going to ask Mommy out?” she asked, but it didn’t seem like a threat, more like, impatience. This wasn’t the conversation Owen thought he was going to have with Robin, but he was kind of glad about it. 

Owen cleared his throat before he leaned in and whispered. “Is Mommy single? You don’t have a dad?” 

Robin continued to draw on her pieces of paper, her hands roughly colouring the pages. She chewed at her lip before sighing and shrugging a bit. “Daddy left us, Mommy gets sad sometimes. But she likes it when you visit.” she glanced up, a small little smile appearing. She wanted him to be nice to her mom. He wanted that too. He smirked, gesturing for her to move up for a closer whisper. She sat up and leaned a lot of her weight onto the table now, wide grin on her lips. 

“What kind of flowers does Mommy like?” he asked and Robin’s tongue went between her teeth, a cute little smile that screamed excitement and joy.

“Lilies. She likes lilies,” she squeaked. Owen nodded as best as he could as Claire walked over with his cup of black coffee. She seemed confused by Owen and Robin’s silence, which made Robin giggle. She stayed quiet. 

“Come on, rascal, we’ve got school,” Claire rolled her eyes and Robin suddenly gave Owen a dramatic nod, before she shuffled off her chair and grabbed her backpack. “I don’t even want to know what you guys were discussing today.” 

“Come on, last discussion you walked in on, Robin was trying to convince me that the T-Rex was the better dinosaur. We all it’s the velociraptor!” Owen reclined in his chair, watching the two girls rush off to the front door. 

“T-Rex is better! Sorry,” Claire smirked, to which she received a high five from her daughter. Robin raced to the car, jumping into the back seat as Claire laughed and walked to her driver’s door. Before she got in, she bit her lip, tucked hair behind her ear and finally looked up at Owen. He was in a flustered mess, unable to breathe and couldn’t quite understand his heartbeats. He was hers and Owen wanted nothing more than to go on a date with her, to see if these feelings were more than just infatuation. He prayed they weren’t. 

When Owen was on shift next, he went and found the best place he could that sold lilies. They were in stock, thank god, and Owen got a whole bunch. He made sure they stayed safe as he drove to the coffee shop and entered the shop just as Claire walked into the room. He hid the flowers behind his back. She stared at him, trying to catch what he was hiding, but hoped she didn’t see it. 

“What you got there, Owen?” she asked curiously. He walked slowly to the front counter, seeing Robin tucked away in her corner once more. She had a gleam in her eyes. Owen took them out from behind his back and offered them to Claire. She was surprised. 

“For you.” he presented like a nervous child. He got the nervous part right, at least. He looked like a fool most likely. Her hands delicately touched the wrapping and took them into her embrace.

“Oh, goodness, these are beautiful,” she beamed, her cheeks flushing red and Claire seemed overwhelmed. Owen felt nervous again, unsure how to proceed. 

“I thought you might like them, to brighten up the place a bit.” he tried to explain, but his words were forced and in a mixed mess in which he wasn’t sure how to speak. 

“They’re my favourite, how did you know?” she asked suddenly. Owen cracked a smile.

“Let’s just say a little birdie told me.” Owen tilted his head towards Robin and Claire sighed, biting her lip. Claire found a vase, placing the flowers inside it and setting it on Robin’s table before going back to the counter. She started to prepare his coffee for the morning. 

“Robin likes talking to you, and I really enjoy your company too, so thank you for coming in every other morning.” Claire admitted, cheeks going crimson and Owen was realising she liked having him around. He smiled, an unexpected treat for the morning. Claire finished his coffee quickly, handing it over.

“It’s always been a pleasure.” he smirked. He looked at the clock on the wall, finally noticing the time. “Oh, shoot! I’ve gotta go, my shift starts soon. I’ll catch you tomorrow morning.” he said over his shoulder, rushing out of the door. Claire and Robin both waved him off as soon as he got in his car. 

It was another month before they really acknowledged the fact that they were blatantly flirting with each other. Lowery had gotten into the habit of jokingly rolling his eyes when he saw Owen and call Claire out so she could serve him. Owen never minded and would always send a thank you text to Lowery afterwards. 

Claire handed Owen his coffee and he immediately sighed. “Something wrong?” Claire asked. Owen turned around his cup, showing off the printed name on the side.

“One of these days, I want to see your number on this cup,” he smirked devilishly before he noticed he took Claire off guard. He backtracked fast. “If that’s okay,” he finished.

Claire stared blankly at Owen for a moment before she cleared her throat. “Wait...are you asking me out?” she asked, her voice a little higher than it usually was. 

Owen rubbed the back of his neck nervously and leaned his weight onto one side of his hip. He started to ramble. “I mean, Robin said you haven’t been seeing anyone and -” 

“I’m not...it’s just…” Claire interrupted quickly. “I didn’t think you’d be interested in me.” she admitted and Owen’s brow crinkled. He chuckled slightly. 

“I’ve been flirting with you for the past couple of months. I mean, where have you been?” he asked and Claire laughed, nervously biting her lip. “Can I take you on a date sometime?” he asked. Claire stood silent before she nodded. 

“I’d really like that.” 

“I’ve gotta go, but tomorrow, your number on my cup.” he said as he was walking out the door. He peeked his head back through and tried to correct himself. “That sounded worse than I meant, but I - See you, Claire! Robin!” The two girls laughed and waved him off. The next day, Claire’s number was on his coffee cup. He called her as he was walking into work, his friends all whispering about who he was talking to. Owen would rarely go out with anyone, so this was a new thing, especially for him to be talking so fondly over the phone. Owen was ready for this to be a real thing. 

 

*~*~*

 

Two nights later, Owen knowing he had that night off and the next day, he was rather excited to be seeing Claire, hopefully able to have a lunch date with her. He was pinned together in a grey casual suit, his shirt unbuttoned around his collar. He took in a deep breath before he knocked on the door. It creaked open, but no one in Owen’s line of sight, he looked down, finding the little girl answering the door. Owen knelt down and smiled at her.

“Hey Robin, where’s your Mom?” he asked. Robin took his hand and ushered him inside. 

“She’s upstairs.” she explained. “Mom! Owen’s here.” she called out before rushing over to the couch and setting herself up to watch TV.

“Robbie! Stop answering the door when I’m not there, you know how much that scares me!” Claire called out from upstairs before leaning over the banister. “And get your thing ready! I won’t ask again!” she yelled and she suddenly caught sight of Owen. Her lips picked up into a wide smile and she moved around to the top of the stairs.

“You look great,” Owen muttered as he took her in. Navy dress that hugged her curves and a high neck that showed off her shoulder elegantly. Her hair, in all its shining glory, was set in beautiful curled waves, flowing down one side of her shoulder. She started down the stairs carefully before she stopped on the last one, fixing up Owen’s collar. 

“You don’t look half bad yourself.” she smirked. Owen bit onto his lip, an overwhelming sense of attraction had overtaken him and he wasn’t sure how else to see Claire, other than the amazing woman she was. She giggled before stepping around Owen and going over to the couch where Robin had propped herself up on once more. “Nana should be here any minute to come and get you. You’re staying there for the night and you’ll come here before school tomorrow.” Claire told her daughter, who nodded and kissed her mother’s cheek goodbye. 

“I’ll see you later, Robin.” Owen waved and Robin jumped up on the couch, leaning over the back, waving wildly. 

The restuarant that they went to was owned by a friend of Owen’s, Simon Masrani, who always said that Owen needed to find a new girl to date. Owen wouldn’t take his dates to fancy places like Masrani’s, but there was a feeling in Owen’s gut that he needed to make this date perfect. They had a nice table setup and ordered their meals. They chatted a bit, learning little things about each other, like the fact that Claire will always eat nutella out of the jar before Robin can sneak the first scoop in. 

There was something that Owen had avoided asking for most of the night because it was all going so perfectly, but his curiosity overtook him. “I know you probably don’t want to talk about it but…” he cleared his throat. “Where is Robin’s dad?”

Claire sighed. It was something she probably didn’t want to relive, but knew she would have to explain it one day. “He was this guy I liked since high school, we hooked up in college a couple of times and when we left, we had this ridiculous night together. That’s how Robin came about,” she laughed, but it was forced, strained to even think about.  “When she was born, he said he’d help, but he didn’t; took me five years to realise that. I finally got a lawyer and got custody of her.” Claire sighed, tucking her hair behind her ear. “He was also an asshole who decided to cheat on me every other weekend and have his daughter catch him on multiple occasions, but we won’t talk about that.” she snapped at the end and Owen bit the inside of his cheek, a small smile on his lips. 

“Do you think he wants to have Robin back in his life.” Owen asked. Claire shook her head.

“He’ll have hell to pay if he does. Doesn’t lift a finger to love her.” she snapped again. Whoever the father was would have to wage war against Claire if he thought he had a right to see Robin again. 

Owen reached out, taking hold of Claire’s hand. “Hey, Robin’s a good kid. She was raised by the good parent. Gets everything good from you.” he smiled. Owen watched as Claire blushed and tucked her hair behind her ear.

“If you keep talking like that, you might get a kiss at the end of this date.” Claire smirked and Owen laid a hand on his chest.

“Am I seriously going to get that lucky?” he marvelled in an overdramatic form. Claire chuckled, rolling her eyes, grabbing her fork just as their meals arrived. She was some kind of miracle. 

“Go and eat your food, little Romeo.” she winked. Owen laughed before he started to eat. 

It was around 10pm when Owen brought her back to the house, walking her to her front door. It was as though neither of them wanted to night to end but didn’t want to ruin it by overstepping their bounds. Owen tucked his hands into his pockets as Claire turned the keys in the lock and the door opened slightly. 

“I was going to ask why you made Robin go with your mother tonight, but I realise how stupid that question is,” The words spilled out of Owen’s mouth and he regretted it the moment he stopped talking. 

“Oh, how so?” Claire questioned and Owen shook his head fiercely. 

“No, I meant, it’d be better that you’d have a relaxing night away from responsibility.” he tried to recover but he knew he had failed. He sighed deeply, lowering his head and staring at his feet. “I put my foot in my mouth, didn’t I? Shit.” he cursed and ran a hand through his hair. Claire’s finger touched underneath his chin, making him look up to her. 

“I told my mom to look after Robin tonight because I planned on having fun,” she said slowly before her body pressed up against his. Taking his collar in hand, she edged herself up on her toes, noses nudging against each other. They were breathing heavily, anticipation on the tips of their tongues. they were fire and air, wild and needed the air between them to keep them going. “And the night is most definitely, not over.” Claire whispered and it drove Owen over the edge. He scooped her up into his embrace, his lips finding hers like they were meant to be together since the beginning of time. 

Claire moaned against him, desperate hands clawing at him to keep her stable. Owen knew she was straight off her feet now, her legs lightly tapping against his shins as she was resting on top of him. Bringing her inside and locking the front door, Owen led them to the stairs. Claire stood up on one step, furiously taking apart his top and biting her lip. Owen’s hands kept running over her curves, edging up her dress every so often. Finally, she tore open his shirt, and she was stunned for a moment, blinking and tucking her hair behind her ear. 

“Holy shit,” she breathed out, her hands running over his toned stomach. “Honestly, I knew you would be built, but jesus, you’re like a marble statue.” 

Owen laughed, bringing Claire back into his hold. She gasped before biting her lip. “I can’t wait to get that dress off of you,” Owen smirked and quickly Claire took his lips. 

“Won’t have to wait long.” Claire muttered against his lips, only spurring Owen on the more. He wanted to take her right there on the steps, have her up against the wall and just remember the way her skin felt against his hands. Yet, Claire’s hand slid down to his, taking it so delicately that he was a slave underneath her touch. Walking slowly up the stairs, Owen just stared at her, watching how her body moved and the longing for it that built up inside of him was insatiable. 

Through another door, there stood a large bed. Claire let his hand go, sitting at the brink and kicking off her shoes. Owen did the same, removing his suit jacket and shirt at the same time. Eventually, he stood over her, but knelt in front of her to fix his hands at the bottom of her dress. Slowly taking it up her body, Claire was breathing heavier than before, a sensual experience she probably hadn’t felt in a long time. Taking it over her head, Owen got to see her figure in all its glory. She was slim, but had curves around her hips and stomach. Claire’s hands moved over her stomach, most likely trying to hide the stretch marks that held around her stomach.  

Moving them away, Owen made Claire lie back. “You are…” he started, kissing her stomach and his hands slowly moving around her back. “Beautiful.” he said in a harsh voice, causing Claire to whimper and arch into him. Owen’s teeth nip underneath her breast, her strapless bra still in the way. Unclasping it, Owen threw it to the side of the room and let his mouth kiss along her breast. Claire was getting impatient however, moving her underwear away and desperately fiddling with his belt and pants. Owen groaned, taking his pants down along with his underwear. He hadn’t even realised how hard he had become. Claire moved just a little to find a condom in her nightstand. 

Owen put it on quickly, all the while Claire was kissing his chest, keeping him at her will. He was hers for the night, but god he wanted to make her beg for him. Owen let Claire lie back down, kneeling in front of her and grabbing onto to back of her knees. He pulled her straight against him, the definite clap of skin against skin echoing. Owen lathered his fingers with his saliva before he started to play with Claire’s clit. She bucked against him and Owen smirked. Positioning himself at her entrance, he moved inside Claire slowly. 

Both of them moaned, and Owen leaned over Claire, suddenly lost when he was inside of her. Then, they started to move together, Owen thrusting slowly into Claire as her hips rotated in a rhythmic pace. They kept their eyes on each other, watching as the other was fading into pleasure but tried so hard to gain the upper hand. 

It didn’t take long for Claire to let the whimpers of desperation out. She was needing a release and Owen didn’t want to deny her. Starting his pace a little faster, it was enough to have her clawing into the bed and her eyes shutting tightly. 

“Oh, god!” Claire moaned, her body arching into his. Owen felt the definitely squeeze of her inner walls around his cock, the way it pulled him in further, making him sink in to base without a second thought. Claire moaned louder, clawing at his back for a moment before slapping her hand against his ass to have him right against her. Claire’s hand stayed there, pulling Owen against her even harder with every thrust, just begging to feel him deeper. And how could he ever disappoint her.  Owen smirked for a moment before he leaned down and nipped at her neck. Claire was giggling just a little, the vibrations of her laugh pulsing over Owen’s cock and he moaned into her neck. 

Owen knew his orgasm wasn’t going to take long to achieve, just a few more minutes of hard and desperate thrusts could send me over the edge. Claire was working magic with her hips and the way the sweat was running over her skin. She was a vision of pure beauty and sex appeal. The coil that had built up in his stomach was getting so tight, it felt as though it was paralysing his spine. Owen wasn’t sure how much more he could last, and with the way Claire’s body was responding to his, he had doubts that they would have much more time for their pleasure. 

Owen pushed himself to the limit, thrusting into Claire with everything he had and feeling her body pulling him in. Claire was reeling, moaning and crying out for him. She was close to her orgasm and he knew the moment he felt her break, he would most likely follow after her. Then, it all happened like a dam bursting open. Claire called out his name, her hand reaching at his forearm and her walls pulsing around him just right. Owen couldn’t take it and the coil at the base of his spine snapped he he came needily. 

“Fuck,” Owen called out as he came. He clenched his fists into the bedsheets until he felt Claire clawing at his arm. He wrenched his hand from the bed, gripping into hers tightly. Owen’s body was leaning straight into Claire’s, tired and needing to feel her. She was shaking in aftershocks and with Owen’s spare hand, he gripped into her thigh, stilling her. 

When he went limp, Owen slipped out of Claire, putting the used condom in the trash and collapsing onto Claire once more. His hips stayed on hers, but he moved around so he just looked at her. Claire’s hand reached to the side of his face, her breathing still heavy and wild. Her fingers were shaking against him and Oween soothed her by placing her hand flat against his face. 

Claire looked at him, a sudden tear rushed down the side of her face. Owen wasn’t sure what it meant. Claire sniffed, kissing him briefly. “You made me feel beautiful for the first time in six years.” 

“Claire, you are perfect,” Owen panted on top of her, Claire’s hand now playing with his hair. There was just a moment of utter bliss that overtook them; lips finding each other, bodies moving against one another. Yet, it wasn’t out of sexual want, more so because they were both exhausted, but to feel each other, to know that they were in this moment together and they didn’t want to let it fade. They wanted it all to be perfect. And it was. 

 

*~*~*

 

The light had broken and was shining it through the curtains crack. Owen blinked his eyes open, looking over to the side of the bed and seeing the naked Claire he left at his side the night before. He smiled to himself before he saw her shift. She turned over and found Owen. She leaned up, taking his lips quickly. It was almost an act of making sure it was all real. “Morning,” Owen hummed as Claire curled up onto his chest. Claire tangled her legs in with his, making sure he fit in against him and that their bodies curved to the other so perfectly. 

“Hey,” she said back. 

“Did you want to get up,” he asked as his fingers ran up her spine. She shivered against him. 

“No, you’re so comfy,” she said, curling herself up against him again. She rested her chin on his chest, looking up at him and her copper hair falling in front of her face. Owen edged it out of her face, watching as her eyes sparkled like oceans staring back at him. He sighed in wonder. 

“You’ve got to pick up Robbie,” he reminded her.

“She’s being dropped off,” she sighed, laying her face into his chest again. Owen’s brow furrowed as he looked at the alarmclock by Claire’s bed. 

“Eh, what time?” he asked. 

“Seven. I think.” she huffed, trying to find comfort in his body.

“Claire,” he said.

“Yeah?” 

“It’s 7:10.” he told her and Claire suddenly sat up in the bed, taking the bedsheets with her. 

“Shit,” she swore before heading to the window. Opening the curtain, then collapsing to the floor. “Get dressed!” she bit her lip and Owen knew that look. She was scared someone was going to see her. Robin was home. Owen rushed out of the bed, collecting his boxer briefs and jumping into them quickly. Finding his trousers, he fixed them on quickly as he watched Claire panic and get her underwear on. She found a dress and pulled it on over her head. 

Rushing down the stairs, Claire said goodbye to her mother and urged Robin into the kitchen. Owen was buttoning up his shirt, creeping down the stairs carefully as to not make a sound. “Mommy, can I see Owen before he leaves?” Robin spoke loudly. She was a lot smarter than Owen thought she was. 

“Owen,” Claire clicked her tongue and Owen sighed. He went towards the sound of the voices and smiled as he saw Robin, beaming wickedly as she watched him come in with the jacket dangling in his hand. 

“Hey, kiddo.” he greeted and Claire moved around to island bench. 

“I need a shower, so can you watch her for a few minutes?” she asked, edging around on tiptoes. 

“Sure.” he smiled and without warning, Claire kissed him. Owen watched her, unable to take his eyes off of her and completely mesmerised by how incredible she was. Owen looked back at Robin, and she seemed upset, very different from when he first saw her that morning. “Hey, Robin, are you alright, sweetheart?” he asked leaning on the bench opposite to Robin.

“I’m scared that you’re gonna take Mommy away from me.” she mumbled and Owen stood up straighter. With his relationship with Claire developing over the course of however many months, Robin must have felt like she was losing her mother to him. Robin didn’t look at him, her face so sad and broken up. He couldn’t take it. 

Moving around the bench, Owen knelt to Robin’s side, nudging her a little so she would look at him. “Hey, sweetie, I ain’t taking her anywhere. I’m making sure she never leaves you.” he reassured. Robin smiled before grasping onto Owen’s cheeks, kissing his forehead before adding pressure to his cheeks to make look like a fish. Robin giggled.

“Can you stay forever?” she asked. 

Through his oddly shaped mouth, he replied. “If your mom wants me to.” 

A few weeks of dates and some days of talking where their lives would be heading, Owen seriously thought he could be happy living that way; a perfect family he was fitting at home with. Owen held the box of donuts in hand, rushing up the steps before he knocked on the door with his free hand. Claire answered, to which Owen kissed her quickly. She was taken back before Owen edged past her.

“I got a couple of donuts from that fancy place near my precinct. I got this M&M one for Robin and this red velvet one of you, but there’s this bacon one I think we can split, but I secretly want it. There are a whole heap in here.” Owen moved into the kitchen, placing the box down and noticed that Claire hadn’t followed him in. He peered around the corner, noticing that Claire was closing herself off, arms folded to keep herself safe. “Hey, is something wrong? Did I overstep? I really hope I’m not being too forward or something, it just felt right to do this kind of stuff and -” he was nervous and scared, not sure where he went wrong.

“Owen, I have to be honest with you.” she bit her lip. Claire avoided looking directly at him. “I’m nervous about this going anywhere else.” 

“What do you mean?” he asked nervously.

Rubbing her arms, she avoided looking at Owen again. Then, she sighed and stared at him, as though she wanted to make him understand. “I’m a single mom. I run my own business. If I get involved with a guy, it’s gotta be something, especially for Robin. You already influence our lives. If I mess this up, then I’m going to breaking my daughter’s heart.” The way she looked at him, it was sad, but the small edge of tears told him that she didn’t want it to end. 

Clearing the room in only a few paces, Owen reached Claire, taking her cheeks in both hands and leaning in. “Claire,” he breathed before kissing her sharply. Claire responded so elegantly, not surprised, but like she wanted him to do it from the moment she spoke. He let her go, making sure that she looked into his eyes as he told her everything that weighed on his chest. “I liked you the moment I saw you. I knew that you wouldn’t have wanted me if I wasn’t someone you could trust with your kid. I got involved with you because I wanted the whole package. I want you and I want Robin. This is what I want.” 

Claire sniffed, nodding at his words. “We have to make this work,” 

“I’m not screwing this up, I promise. I won’t let you, either.” he cracked a smile and Claire giggled, falling into his embrace and curling her arms around him. 

“Mommy! Is Owen staying for dinner?” Robin called from upstairs. Claire sniffed again as Owen chuckled and kissed her forehead. 

“Yeah, sweetheart, I am. Do you want pizza?” he called out, to which he got a sharp jab in the ribs. 

“No pizza!” Claire remarked quickly. 

“Awe.” Robin and Owen said in unison. Claire rolled her eyes and went to the kitchen to start to make dinner. 

 

*~*~*

 

It had been close to a year since Owen and Claire started going out. They lived happily, going on fun little family-like outings and dates that ended in the happiest of ways. Owen felt at home with the Dearing girls, like he was always meant to find his place there. Owen knew what he was going to do with the rest of his life, being a police officer and such, but this family he was fitting into so perfectly, he knew that was where he was meant to be forever. 

Claire and Owen hadn’t moved in together, even though they spent most nights at Claire’s place anyway. He had clothes in drawers and most of his stuff kept there. But, there were some nights that Owen just wanted to come home from a shift and sleep. Robin was sometimes very interested in spending time with Owen, and although it didn’t annoy him, he was always worried he would fall asleep whilst watching her and he didn’t want to be irresponsible around Robin. Owen knew he was going to sell his apartment soon though, for many reasons.

Walking from his car, he fumbled for his keys as he was unbuttoning his shirt. Getting to his door, his phone started to blare in his pocket. He quickly got it out, seeing Claire’s name as the caller. She knew it was his time for sleep, so either she needed to see him desperately or an emergency was happening. He answered it, hearing a distressed Claire on the other end.

“Owen, I know it’s you’re going home to sleep, but I got called in for a shift at work and, well, Robbie is home by herself and I’m freaking out and I think she might be coming down with something and -” There was no delay time in his reaction. As soon as Claire mentioned Robbie, something kicked in his belly and he was racing back to his car. 

“Claire, I’m getting in the car right now, I’ll be there in five. I’ll give you a text if something is wrong.” he replied, hanging it up and turning the keys in the ignition. He was responsible with getting to Claire’s, but as soon as he stopped, he was frantic to get to the front door. He opened it up and saw Robin on the couch. She was lazily pressed up against the side, small little sobs coming from her. 

Owen raced over to the couch, touching Robin’s forehead. She had tears running down her face. She pointed near the couch. “I’m sorry, mommy left just a little while ago and I felt sick. I didn’t want to keep her and I just -” Owen peered around, seeing a little puddle of vomit sitting near the couch. The poor thing. 

“Shit,” Owen cursed, immediately going over to Robin. He patted her back and cleaned her face.

“You said a whoopsie.” she giggled. Looking tired and defeated, Robin slouched against the couch. Owen put his hand to her forehead, feeling how hot she had become.

“Is that what your mom calls them?” Owen asked nervously. He wasn’t sure what to do; he hadn’t taken care of a kid before and this was serious stuff. He remembered something from years ago, a friend’s kid got sick like this. Maybe this was it. He had to try something. 

“She says them when she’s mad, or sad. She said the F one the other day.” Robin said through her sniffs and thick coughs. 

“How naughty.” Owen laughed. He let his hands reach underneath her arms and picked her up. “Come here, sweetheart.” he grunted, lifting her up and she wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs fitted around his torso. He hurried them both upstairs, set her down on the brink of the bathtub before he got a bunch of towels. He turned on the shower to the hottest it would go, closed the door and made sure that everything was sealed up so that all the steam would stay inside the room. 

The room heated up quickly, the steam a vail in the air and Robin coughing, clearing up her airways quickly. “I’m scared,” Robin said, coughing a little harder. Then, she threw up just a little more over his shoulder. “I’m sorry.” she groaned. 

“Oh, baby, it’s okay. Do you feel better?” he asked, though he could still hear how bad the coughs were. God, he was petrified. He just needed Robbie to be fine, he couldn’t let his little girl keep going like this, hurting and feeling ill. 

“A little, but my chest still hurts.” she remarked before she sobbed again. He patted her back, making her cough once more. 

“Keep coughing, baby, it’ll be okay. I’m right here.” he mentioned.“I’m gonna call your mom and then we’re going to the hospital, okay?” he said, bouncing and rubbing her back. 

“Am I in trouble?” Robin suddenly cried and Owen shook his head, kissing her temple. 

“Of course not! I’m just scared and I want you to be all better. You’re going to be fine, sweetheart. This isn’t your fault.” he reassured, but his heart ached as he felt the little girl in his arms sob harder than before. 

“Daddy, I’m sorry,” Robin cried, holding on tighter to Owen and coughing heavily. 

“Hey, hey, it’s alright, you’ve done nothing wrong.” he soothed, rubbing her back and patting it softly. “I’m right here. I’m right here.” Owen wasn’t sure what came over him, a sharp kick in his chest that had him so utterly weak. She called him dad. Maybe she was just scared, but god, there was something so pure about it that had Owen on the verge of tears. He never thought he could be someone’s dad. Now, he couldn’t see himself not being Robin’s. 

In the car, Owen called Claire, who was frantic on the other end. They agreed to meet at the hospital and Robin sat in the backseat, still coughing. Owen would reach back whenever they stopped to check her temperature, which hadn’t gone down. Picking Robin up out of the backseat and going into the emergency room, the nurses looked strangely and utterly concerned at him. He realised he was still wearing his uniform and there were a whole variety of reasons this situation would mean. 

Being late at night, there weren’t many people in and he was asked some questions rather quickly. He explained what he thought it was and the symptoms she was displaying the moment he found her. The nurses grabbed all the details Owen could give before they got him to lie her down on a bed and they started to escort Owen away. 

“Woah, wait, why can’t I go with her? She’s going to be scared out of her mind.” Owen tried to explain to the nurse but she shook her head. 

“You aren’t family.” she replied, but it seemed as though she didn’t want to separate the two. 

“I’m dating her mom, I’ve known this little girl for like a year and a half, please, let me go with her.” he begged and the nurse bit at her lip. 

“Owen?” Robin chirped but it was weakened up a cough.

“Please,” he begged once more and as the nurse groaned, Owen knew her answer. 

“I’m so sorry, sir. It’s against hospital policy.” she replied disheartenedly. 

“Owen,” a voice called out behind him. Claire came running up, her arms wrapping around his neck. He kissed her cheek briefly before hurrying her off with the nurse. 

“Thank god, go.” he said, but Claire’s hand was locked with his. 

“What are you doing standing here, come on.” she asked frantically. He shook his head.

“I can’t. I’ve got no legal reason to be in there. I’ll wait though.” he said, letting her hand go and standing still, watching Claire rush off with the nurse.

Owen sat for hours, the early hours of the morning just waiting for anything. He didn’t ask any of the nurses knowing full well he wouldn’t get any information from them. He fell asleep for a few minutes before he felt someone tap his shoulder. He jolted awake before he saw Claire. He sat up straighter, wiping his face and clearing his throat. “How is she?” he asked nervously. 

Claire smiled weakly as she placed her hand on his knee. “You did the right thing with the steam. She’s just coughing now but she’ll be okay when she gets some sleep. They gave her some antibiotics and she’ll be fine.” she explained and Owen sighed.

“I should have brought her in sooner, I’m so sorry.” he said in an angered tone, knowing he should have done something faster, done something sooner. He felt horrible. Claire shook her head, hand connecting with his cheek in reassurance. 

“Owen, you brought her just in time. You did nothing wrong. Robbie is going to be okay.” Claire told him before she took his hand, guiding him up. “Do you wanna see her?” she asked.

“Can I?” Owen replied quickly, wide eyes. Claire nodded and took him to Robin’s room. She was still coughing a little. Owen looked at her, a little girl in a bed that was too big. His heart sank and he knelt by her bedside, taking her hand. “Hey sweetheart,” he smiled and her face brightened.

“Owen.” she smiled. “I’m sorry about your shirt.” she apologised and he remembered the vomit on the back. He laughed, taking off the shirt with his white t-shirt underneath unscaved. 

“It’s okay. I’ll get a new one.” he smiled back. Robin’s eyes started to shut, heavy eyelids keeping her from staying awake.

“I’m tired.” she yawned. Owen’s thumb ran over her hand, watching as she was drifting off. 

“Go to sleep. I’ll try and be here when you wake up.” he whispered.

“Thank you, daddy.” she whispered back, and Robin was off to sleep in a matter of moments. Owen felt the hot sting of tears at the edge of his eyes. He felt the tight squeeze on his shoulder. Claire pulled a chair up to the side of the bed, letting him sit down on it.

“I’ll get your a blanket.” she said quietly and Owen’s brow furrowed. 

“Aren’t they going to throw me out or something?” he asked. Claire shook her head.

“I let them know that you wouldn’t be going anywhere until she’s okay, so they’re letting us stay as long as we need.” she smiled. Owen kissed her hand.

“Thanks, babe.” he replied before he looked back at the sleeping girl in the bed. She was peaceful. He let his hand rest on her forehead for a moment, feeling how cool she was now. He sighed deeply, a tear that was on the brink of his eye falling. He was so relieved. 

 

*~*~*

 

A month had passed, Robin had come home the next day with some medicine the next couple of days. She was up and running again within that week. Owen had sold his apartment the day after Robin came home, already having discussed it with his realtor. Owen had all his stuff in Claire’s home and was sitting on the couch with Claire beside him.“So, I’ve been thinking ever since Robbie was in the hospital,” Claire said in the midst of their  _ Happy Endings _ marathon. “Did you want to become her legal guardian?” she asked and Owen turned to her. 

“I don’t…” he trailed on and suddenly Claire climbed onto Owen’s lap, straddling him. 

“Marry me, idiot.” she said. Owen licked his lips before reaching into his pocket. He got out the beautiful ring that he had bought before. 

“I can do that.” he smiled as he offered it to Claire. She suddenly went bright red, hands covering her mouth.

“When did you get that?” she asked.

“I sold my apartment a month ago, so about a month ago.” he shrugged and Claire’s eyes were darting back and forth, processing the last month or so.

“You were going to -”

“I wanted to propose a while ago, yes.” Owen interrupted with a laugh. Claire covered her mouth again. “Why are you acting so shocked? You literally just asked me to marry you.” he laughed and Claire punched his shoulder.

“It’s different when you already have a ring, stupid!” she exclaimed before she giggled and kissed Owen.

“We’re getting married?” he asked and Claire nodded frantically. 

“Yes!” she said excitedly and grabbed the ring, placing it on her finger. Claire let her hands go to the side of Owen’s face and kissed his over and over again. Owen smiled all the while. He pulled away, feeling Claire kiss his cheeks just the same as his lips.

“She said yes, Robbie.” Owen called out and Claire stilled for a moment.

“I knew she would.” Robin replied cheerfully. Owen looked back at Claire who clicked her tongue. 

“How is she not your daughter? Honestly?” she asked, bright smiles erupting on both of their lips. 

 

*~*~*

 

“How do I look, Robbie?” Owen asked as he adjusted his grey vest and placing the matching jacket over the top. Robin rushed to his side, hugging at his side with a brilliant smile spread on her lips. 

“Sharp.” Robin said, straightening up her little vest. She was pinned together in a little suit, grey in colour with a navy flair that was matched that of Owen’s tie. She had bows and such in her hair with little sneakers on, trying to match Owen’s wedding party. She was technically the flower girl, but she was very insistent on making sure Owen looked just right for her mom.  

“And your Mom said you would never use that phrase the way I taught you.” Owen smiled. He bent down, picking up Robin. He kissed her cheek before she wiped it away in soft giggles. “Are you sure you didn’t want to wear a nice dress like Mom?” he asked and Robin shook her head. 

Robin, even in Owen’s arms, adjusted her vest again, much like Owen had. “It's Mommy’s day. She needs to be the most beautiful person there.” 

“She will be, Robbie,” Owen sighed, agreeing with his future daughter. 

Owen waited at the end of the aisle, watching as Robin spun at the other end. She was waiting for the view of her mother. When she stopped, she suddenly perked and grabbed her basket. She was hurrying down the aisle, throwing the flowers and skipping over to Owen. She set the basket down and standing very patiently at Owen’s side. 

Then, he saw Claire. She was in an elegant dress that made her look like a princess. Floral embroidered all across her chest and the bodice, then it cascaded down in fabric. She looked like a dream. Finally reaching the end, Claire smiled at Owen. He felt a tug on his pants leg and saw Robin with her thumb in her mouth. He bent down to her, hearing a small laugh from the crowd of friends and family watching. 

“Tell Mommy she looks beautiful,” Robin whispered and Owen smirked. He rose again and leaned forward. 

“Robbie says you're beautiful,” he remarked and Claire giggled. “I think you are too.” he winked and Claire smiled brightly. 

The ceremony went beautifully with words spoken that made them more than happy to finally be married. Owen was waiting for that one line, the one that made his heart jump just thinking about. Claire bit her lip and Owen knew it was coming up. He waited, hands fidgeting at his side in anticipation. 

“You may now kiss the bride,” The priest said and Owen sighed. He let his hand sink around her waist, bringing her into him. They kissed and their friends and family cheered, clapping loudly as the two kissed. Claire giggled against Owen’s lips before he felt the tug on his pants again. He looked down to see an excited Robin, bouncing up and down. Owen picked her up and she kissed her mother easily. They walked down the aisle as a family. 

At the reception, Owen, Claire and Robin danced the first dance, her resting on Owen’s side as Owen and Claire swayed. “Now daddy can stay with us forever!” Robin announced, causing Claire and Owen both to crack up laughing. He smiled at the little girl.

“Heck yeah I am, baby,” he cheered, bouncing her up and down on his hip.

“I’m your baby!” she squeaked, hugging him tightly. 

“Always and forever.” he kissed her temple. 

“Well, for now anyway,” Claire mentioned, eyelashes fluttering and Owen’s heart was soaring. As he looked back at Robin, she seemed upset, but Owen knew he could never love one child over the other, not even the little girl that technically wasn’t his. He loved her like she was his own. 

“Nah, she’ll always be my baby. The baby that wasn’t mine, but god, I wish she was.” Owen remarked, tickling Robin’s stomach.

“We’re a family now. She is yours.” Claire whispered as she kissed his cheek. He turned to Claire. 

“And I’m yours too.” he said simply and kissed her. Owen found a family with the two girls he danced with, a family he didn’t know he wanted, but one he was so incredibly proud to call his own. The looked at Claire’s eyes and noticed the same sea that ran in them, ran within his step daughter. And his son that followed. Tenerife Seas that flooded him with love for the rest of his life.

**Author's Note:**

> Claire's dress - [x](http://66.media.tumblr.com/5e9c1ac0ebd80c15ae99c0d17b3ca7aa/tumblr_nuir8jYuIl1sds01ao1_1280.jpg)


End file.
